See the world through my eyes and writing.

Life Lessons

Life lesson #10

Choose your friends wisely.

I remember when I was growing up and my mother always telling me to pick my friends wisely because those you keep around are a reflection of you as you are of them. At the time I would get mad at my mother because it just felt like she was trying to control yet another thing in my life. But as I go through my 20’s I come to see the value in that lesson she was trying to teach me then.

When I think about the person that I am and the women I aspire to be, I think about how I am going to get there. I then think about those that I keep in my life. I reflect on my friends, present and past, and come to realize that bad habits stick easily while good habits of others we tend to overlook. Some people we outgrow because they are not with the same mindset as ours.

Some things in life we may not have full control over, but friends and those we surrounds ourselves with are completely in our control. Choose wisely.

Life lesson #9

Take the challenge.

I find it that it is through taking a challenge that I learn more and experience more. Sometimes it is better to take the risk and not simply playing it safe. When we play it safe we limit ourselves from what we can learn, teach others and experience in general.

Life is worth living and even if we fail we live with no regrets.

It is better to walk away and say “Wow, I actually did that!” instead of “I wonder how it would have went.”

Life lesson #8

Honesty is truly the best policy.

As cliche as it may sound, honesty is the best policy. Not only because you want others to be honest with you but because it says a lot about your character.

Lies no matter how big or small, always cause some damage and when brought to the light harm friendships and relationships.

If we rely on lies to get us through or prevent us from getting into difficult situations, we are only hiding the reality for a limited amount of time. There is always a price to pay with any lie we come to tell. It is better to deal with the situation head on with the truth even if is it the ugly truth.

Nowadays, finding someone who is honest, is hard.

Life lesson #7

Time.

Time is one of those concepts that we tend to only think of when death comes around. Time should be something that we think about more, appreciate and make the most of.

I personally like to live be the motto, “I would prefer to waste money but never my time.” My logic is that money you can always make again, you can work the extra hours and have that money back in your bank account but once the hour or day has been used, you’ll never get it back.

When you are young, as I am now, we think that we will live forever and that we can always put thing off for next week, next month and we take time for granted and waste it recklessly. It isn’t until you sit down and think that you realize what you have wasted your time on.

As the saying goes, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day. It’s what we do with them that counts.” Each and every person that walks on this earth, has the same 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week but we each use that time differently. Some make the most of it and see the fruit of their labor while others waste it aimlessly and later on play catch up in life.

We each decide what is worth our time.

Always ask yourself what the thing or person you are investing your time in is adding to your life not only in the short term but in the long term.

Life lesson #6

Sometimes you have to be selfish.

Sometimes the healthiest choices we need to make in life are those that are best for us but possibly not for others. Oftentimes I find myself putting the needs and wants of others and find that those needs and wants are contrary to what I need or want. But more times than not, I put my feelings aside. Sometimes making those choices are the hardest. You never want to be the cause for pain, resentment or anger for someone else towards you or others; making some choices hard. But after putting my feelings aside to keep or make others happy, it slowly consumes me. Internally. Emotionally. Mentally. I become detached and lost.

Sometimes you just have to do what’s best for you even of it seems selfish.

Life lesson #5

Allow yourself the time and space to fall in love with yourself and life.

Sometimes we get so caught up in life and thinking of the future that we forget about the greatness that lies within us and the smaller things in life. Allowing yourself the time and space to wander, explore, and reconnect with yourself and life brings you back to what truly matters. With school, work, family, friends and everything else that we like into our day to day lives, we loose ourselves in the process. The years go by and we do not notice that changes in our personalities and habits. But allowing yourself to be alone it’ll all come as a reminder of who you used to be before life began to happen and take over.

I never knew how much I enjoyed being alone until I came to Madrid. Having a room to myself and a schedule that truly allowed for a lot of alone time, I was finally able to hear myself think and reflect on the past and what I want to do in the years to come. I was able to finally remind myself of the beauty that lies within me. I was able to understand the I am unattached for people and things I thought I could not live without.

Life Lesson #4

Appreciate yourself. Love yourself. Build yourself.

Growing up in this society, it’s easy to loose sight of the beauty and power that lies within us. Growing up in this day and age it is hard for us to appreciate the amazing creation that we truly are.

With media portraying what beauty is and the standards that society has set forth from happiness to success to love, it’s hard to appreciate ourselves for what we are, do, have and plan on achieving. Depending on those we keep around in our lives, those people will also influence our views of ourselves.

It is easier said than done to not allow others to influence how we feel and see ourselves, but truth be told, the way our loved ones act towards us and what they say about us truly do impact us.

We must never allow others’ definition of who we are become the sole reflection of how we see and feel about ourselves.

Learn to appreciate your strengths along with your weaknesses. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself. Learn to appreciate your physical appearance and the depths of your feelings and thoughts. Take some time to reflect on your words and actions. It’s okay to become aware of the bad qualities that lie within us, but take the next step and determine how you are going to go about working towards become a better you, according to your own standards.

And always remember, no one will appreciate you or love you like you appreciate and love yourself.

P.S. Always work on yourself. Write down the qualities you wish to improve on and wish to embody. Work on it.

Life Lesson #3

Always bring your heart every way you go.

Always put your heart into everything you do.

As you go through life, you learn that if your heart it not in it, then there is no use to going certain place, having certain things and people in our lives or doing things.

No matter where life may take you, go with an open heart and mind. Be open to all the possibilities that may come from every place and person you encounter. You never know what you may gain, learn or give back. No matter what life throws as you, always be ready to take it as it comes. There are so many things that are out of your control and learning to accept things as they come, will ultimately help you lead a life of gratefulness.

In life you will go places you never planned going to, but living in the moment and bringing an open heart will make the experience well worth it. Even when you try to control and plan everything out, unexpected things will happen. Take it as it comes. Be open to new things. Embrace the unknown.

Your heart is the center of your being. Always bring it everywhere you go. Always allow it to shine onto to others. Allowing others to come into your heart, may be heard and frightening but you never know what impact another person may have on you. Never limit yourself. Never limit the possibilities of your heart.

Life Lesson #2

Life is too short.

The second tattoo I got, over four years ago, during my first semester at Hofstra University, reminds me daily of what life is.

During my sophomore year in high school my mother was diagnosed with an advanced stage of beeast cancer and through her diagnosis, treatment, and recovery I was able to realize that life is too short

It’s crazy to think that I needed something like that to make me realize the meaning of life. That year was by far that most impactful year in my life thus far. I learned abiut life. I learned abiut love. I learned about myself.

Throughout that year I was able to learn that life is too short to do anything but be happy, love unconditionally, be grateful for everything and everyone and that I don’t instead on wasting any time.

Watching my mom I’m so much pain after each session with the chemo therapy, I realize the strength that my mom had. She never let my sister and I see he cry. The moment I will never forget, was when my mom lost her hair. As she combed through her thick long hair she saw that her hair was on th comb. As she continued to comb through her hair she was left with less and less until she had none. It all happened so fast. I think it was in that moment that she and I both realized th severity of it. My mom has always been one that prided herself and taught us to love and care for our hair. Hair. Something to small. But seeing my moms face and the tears in her eyes, made me understand the little things that I took for granted. I realized how much hair meant to my mom and how I should care for my hair.

In that moment I realized how I took such simple things as granted. From that moment on I learned to lov and appreciate everything bout myself.

There was one night I will never forget. It was a day or two after one of her chemo sessions. She laid on the couch. I could tell by the face she made that she was I’m too much pain. She didn’t say anything. I would hold her hand and sit next to her asking her is she needed anything. She would respond. I part of me thought she was dead. But holding her hand, I knew she wasn’t. She didn’t move, speak or anything. I just sat there. I reflected on my life and my behavior towards her all those years. I know I was not the easiest daughter to deal with or raise. I know I hurt my mom many times before to the point that I made her cry with my actions and words. In that moment I knew that I needed my mother. As much as I went through my rebellious phase of thinking my parents didn’t understand or love me I realized that there’s was no love like my mothers. No matter how many headaches and heartaches I put her through, she was always there.

Since that moment, I take no day day or person for granted. I really thought I was going to loose my mother that day. Since that day I make sure to say good night and I love III to anyone thay I hold dear to me because you never know what can happen during the night sleep.

We tend to take days for granted.

We tend to take our life for granted.

We tend to take moments for granted.

We tend to take family, friends and loved ones for granted.

Life is too short not to appreciate every moment, every memory, every person, every lesson etc.

Life is too short not to live like today is our last day.

Life Lesson #1

Always smile.

One of my favorit things to do is smile. Even when I am feeling down or they may be no reason to smile or giggle, I will still smile. Why? Because if I don’t need that smile for myself someone else may need it. Always smile at others, you never know what your smile is doing fo someone else.

Even when I’m feeling down I smile. Happiness is a mental state and it’s the kind of mental state I want to make constant so I’ll smile often if not always because it will eventually become real to me.

Yes, some days are bad and I may not smile, but it’s always good to find something to smile or giggle about.

I think that being happy has so much power but that power comes from within.

Although at times it may be hard to find something good in the day or life, it could really be worse. Your battle may be someone else’s entire war.

Happiness can hard to find but if we change our mindset to one in which we can acknowledge our blessings we become more grateful and find the smallest things in our day that will make us happy.